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Monday, June 4, 2012

Counting Gifts...Summer Edition

This month marks a year since I finished reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and began counting my gifts. While I have not been as consistent with writing down my gifts on a daily basis as I had hoped, over the year I have become more aware of the ways God reveals Himself. My mind is more in-tune with His Presence in my life, both in the joyful times as well as the trials. And these past 365 days have been smattered with unexpected trials unlike I've experienced before. However, I believe now more than ever that God works out everything according to his perfect plan and that my purpose is to bring Him glory, no matter what. This doesn't mean that I won't experience pain, but it just determines how I handle that pain. I choose to .........

I recently read this following devotion by Sarah Young in Jesus Calling...
"Thankfulness opens the door to My Presence. ...Thankfulness is built on a substructure of trust. When thankful words stick in your throat, you need to check up on your foundation of trust. When thankfulness flows freely frmo you heart and lips, let your gratitude draw you closer to Me. I want you to learn the art of giving thanks in all circumstances. See how many times you can thank Me daily; this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings. It will also cushion the impact of trials when they come against you. Practice My Presence by practicing the discipline of thankfulness."

Last year, our annual beach trip delivered more gifts than I could . This year's beach trip was no different. How blessed we are to have an uninterrupted week with family surrounded by the beauty of the ocean - God's display of his power, magnificence, and magnitude.